Refrigerator and/or freezer

ABSTRACT

The within invention relates to a refrigerating and/or freezing device with at least one coolant circuit that has at least one condenser, where at least one absorber is provided that is located such that it diminishes or prevents the transfer of oscillations from the condenser to other parts of the refrigerating and/or freezing device and/or oscillations from the condenser itself.

The within invention relates to a refrigerating and/or freezingapparatus with at least one coolant circuit that has at least onecondenser.

Such cooling devices are known in numerous different embodiments.

Their coolant circuit usually comprises at least one compressor thatcompresses the coolant. The coolant passes from the compressor to thecondenser in which it gives off heat to the environment and thustransitions into a liquid state.

The coolant then passes through an expansion valve, in which itspressure is reduced, into the evaporator. In the evaporator, the coolantpicks up heat from the area of the appliance to be cooled, evaporatesand finally returns to the compressor, in which it is compressed again.

With regard to the embodiments of the condenser, there are numerousdifferent possibilities. For example, they can be formed as wire tubeblock condensers, spiral condensers, rolled wire tube condensers or asother embodiments.

They are generally attached directly to the device itself, on supportplates or other holding fixtures, e.g., in the base area. This directattachment leads to the oscillations of the compressor or the pulsationsof the compressor strokes being transferred directly from the condenser,similarly oscillating, to the surrounding parts of the device. Undercertain circumstances, this can lead to a kind of “membrane effect” thatcould result in noises disturbing to the user of the device.

These noises are based particularly on the fact that, for example, sheetmetal or plastic parts of the device are set in oscillation.

The within invention therefore relates to developing a refrigeratingand/or freezing apparatus of the type cited at the beginning thatreduces or completely prevents such disturbing noises.

This task is solved by a refrigerating and/or freezing appliance withthe characteristics of claim 1.

According to that Claim, provision is made for at least one absorberthat is placed such that it diminishes or prevents the oscillationsand/or that it diminishes or prevents the transfer of oscillations fromthe condenser to other parts of the refrigerating and/or freezingdevice. Any oscillations or vibrations at the condenser are thus pickedup or diminished by the absorber at least in part so that they cannot betransferred or in any event, cannot be transferred to adjacentcomponents in an undiminished state. The oscillations of thesecomponents, such as sheet metal or plastic parts of the device, can thusbe reduced or completely prevented. Accordingly, the above-mentioneddisturbing noises can be reduced or completely prevented.

The within invention relates to any possible embodiment of a condenser.For example, spiral tube condensers, rolled wire tube condensers, wiretube block condensers, finned condensers or coiled wire tube condensers,etc., are possible.

This list is not, however, comprehensive. The invention extends to anycondenser usable in a refrigerating and/or freezing appliance.

The location of the condenser is also not restrictive. For example,placing the condenser on the back of the appliance or in the area of thebase of the appliance or even in the area at the top or even the sidearea of the appliance is possible. If the condenser is mounted in thebase or top area of the appliance, placement in the back of theappliance is a preferable possibility.

The absorber can be mounted such that it is located between thecondenser and any other part of the refrigerating and/or freezingdevice, e.g., the base of the device. Provision is preferably made sothat the condenser sits or stands on the absorber and/or the absorber islocated above the condenser. In principle, it is also possible to placethe absorber on the side, for example in the case in which the condenseris located on the rear wall.

The condenser can also have a plurality of condenser units and theabsorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensationdevice to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenserunits. Thus, it is possible, for example, for the condenser to consistof a plurality of towers or spiral tubes and for the absorber to bedesigned such that it compensates for the distance tolerances among thecondenser towers. In other words, the absorber should be designed,according to this embodiment of the invention, such that one and thesame absorber can be used for condensers in which the distance betweenthe condenser units is not absolutely equal but rather is subject tovariations. As shown, it is possible, for instance, for one and the sameabsorber to be used for condensers whose condenser units are not atidentical distances from each other or that are not designedidentically, but rather at a distance that varies, as the case may be,from condenser to condenser or is subject to other varying measurementsor dimensions.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for theabsorber to be designed in whole or in part of an elastic or plasticallydeformable material. Such an absorber permits a certain variability inthe arrangement or mounting of the condenser units on the absorber. Thismeans that the condenser unit or the condenser need not always belocated at the identical point but rather that the absorber facilitatesa certain variability with regard to the exact arrangement of thecondenser or the condenser units.

The absorber can have one or a plurality of holding fixtures toaccommodate the condenser or condenser units or a section of thecondenser or condenser units. These holding fixtures can, for example,be designed as projections that project from a plane of the absorber. Itis also possible for the absorber to have holding fixtures designed asrecesses.

Such holding fixtures can be provided for each condenser unit or foreach condenser.

The minimum of one holding fixture can be designed as round, preferablycircular, and have flattened areas on at least one side, preferably onat least two sides. These flattened areas offer the possibility ofguaranteeing the above-mentioned tolerance compensation.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for theminimum of one holding fixture to have one or a plurality of ribs towhich the condenser or a section of the condenser or the condenser unitis attached in the mounted state or with which it is connected. In thecase of spiral tube condensers, these ribs, which are preferablydesigned as deformable, can guarantee compensation of diametertolerances in the condenser or the condenser unit.

These ribs can also have the function of reliably holding the condenseror condenser unit at the desired location for the absorber.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for theminimum of one rib to be arranged at the minimum of one holding fixture.It can, for example, extend from the outer edge, or in the case of aholding fixture designed as a recess, from its wall.

Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in greaterdetail based on an embodiment shown in the drawing. The figures show:

FIG. 1: A perspective drawing of a spiral tube condenser with four unitsor towers and two absorbers.

FIG. 2: A view according to FIG. 1 without the absorber located at thetop.

FIG. 3: A view of the absorber, and

FIG. 4: A detailed view of the bottom section of the spiral tubecondenser and the area of the holding fixture of the absorber.

In the embodiment of a condenser shown here, it comprises a spiral tubecondenser with four towers 12 arranged in a square. In principle, otherdesired arrangements, such as a triangular arrangement of the condensertowers 12, a design, for instance, with five towers or more towers in acircle, etc., are possible. In principle, the invention also covers theprovision of only one tower 12.

As shown in greater detail in FIG. 1, the condenser 10 has an infeed 14for the coolant to be condensed and an outfeed 16 for the condensedcoolant.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the four towers 12 of the condenser 10 aremounted on an absorber 20. This absorber can, for example, be made of aplastic material or have such a device. Other oscillation-diminishing orabsorbing materials are also covered by the invention.

As shown particularly in FIG. 3, the absorber 20 has projections 22 onthe side facing the towers 12, where one projection 22 is provided foreach condenser tower 12 in the embodiment shown here. In principle, itis also possible not to provide a projection 22 for each tower 12 of thecondenser 10 or to arrange more than one projection for each condenseror each tower of the condenser.

As shown in FIG. 3, the projections, seen from the top, are circularholding fixtures on which two opposite sides are flattened. It is thuspossible for the distance tolerances of the condenser units or towers12, marked in FIG. 2 with reference letters A and B and in FIG. 3 withreference letter C, to be compensated for by the absorber 20 or itsprojections 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the flattened areas are not formedidentically for all projections 22. In the embodiment shown, thearrangement or orientation of the flattened areas is at a 90° anglebetween each two adjacent projections 22. In principle, other angles arealso possible.

Thus, there is always tolerance compensation between two towers 12 ofthe condenser 10.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the absorber 20 according to FIG. 3 isarranged not only on the underside of the condenser 10, but also on itstop side. The absorbers 20 on the top or bottom side of the absorber 10can be designed identically or differ from each other.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the projections 22 are not designed assolid, but rather as hollow in the interior.

Since there can be tolerances not only in distance between two towers 12of the condenser 10 but also diameter tolerances for the condensertowers 12 or the condenser 10, the condenser 10 or its units 12 aremounted on a plurality of ribs 30 which are elastic. This means that thedistance between the opposite ribs 30 is larger than the inside diameterof the condenser 10 or the condenser tower 12 so that there is a certainsqueezing effect upon attachment. This squeezing not only has theadvantage that the condenser 10 or its towers 12 are firmly mounted, butalso that the above-mentioned tolerance compensation for the diameter ofthe condenser unit 12 is made possible through the somewhat elasticmaterial of the ribs.

The ribs 30 can thus also be preferably designed as elasticallydeformable or also plastically deformable. Moreover, this can also applyfor the additional material of the absorber 20 as well as for theprojections 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ribs 30 extend from the unflattened sides, i.e.,from the curved sides of the projections 22.

Of course, any other shape for the projections 22, such as oval, etc.,can be considered in place of a circular or semi-circular shape for theprojections 22.

FIG. 4 shows the lower end range of a plurality of condenser towers 12of the condenser 2 that are attached to the ribs 30 of the projections22 and mounted there.

As further shown in FIG. 3, a projection 40 is located in a central areaof the absorber 20 that is designed as circular in the embodiment shownhere. The outsides of the attached towers 12 of the condenser 10 abutthis projection so that the projection 40 serves as a further mountingfor the condenser towers 12.

The absorber can be premounted by the condenser supplier and thus alsoserves as security against distortion of the individual towers 12 duringdelivery.

Furthermore, the absorber 20 results in a substantially improvedstackability and thus logistical advantages.

The actual material of the absorber 20 can differ from the material ofthe projections 22. However, the invention also covers the case in whichthe entire absorber 20 is manufactured preferably in one unit and fromthe same material as the projections 22 and ribs 30, as well as theprojection 40.

If different materials are selected, the materials are to be selectedsuch that the part of the absorber that is connected to another part ofthe refrigerating appliance or freezing appliance has the best possibleoscillation-absorbing properties and the projection 22 or the ribs 30has/have properties that guarantee a good mounting of the towers 12 ofthe condenser 10.

1. A refrigerating and/or freezing device with at least one coolantcircuit that has at least one condenser, wherein at least one absorberis provided that is located such that it diminishes or prevents thetransfer of oscillations from the condenser to other parts of therefrigerating and/or freezing device and/or oscillations from thecondenser itself.
 2. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim1, wherein the condenser is a spiral tube condenser or a rolled wiretube condenser or a wire tube block condenser or a finned condenser or acoiled wire tube condenser.
 3. The refrigerating and/or freezing deviceof claim 1, wherein the condenser is arranged on the rear of the deviceor in the area of the base of the device or in the area of the top or ina side area of the device.
 4. The refrigerating and/or freezing deviceof claim 1, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or theabsorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber isarranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenseris mounted on the rear wall.
 5. The refrigerating and/or freezing deviceof claim 1, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenserunits and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerancecompensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from thecondenser units.
 6. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1,wherein the absorber is designed in whole or in part of an elasticallyor plastically deformable material.
 7. The refrigerating and/or freezingdevice of claim 1, wherein the absorber has one or a plurality ofholding fixtures, preferably designed as projections and/or recesses,for accommodation of the condenser or its units or a section of thecondenser or its cooling units.
 8. The refrigerating and/or freezingdevice of claim 7, wherein the minimum of one holding fixture can bedesigned as round, preferably circular, and have flattened areas on atleast one side, preferably on at least two sides.
 9. The refrigeratingand/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein at least one holding fixturehas one or a plurality of ribs to which the condenser is attached in itsmounted state.
 10. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 8,wherein the minimum of one rib is arranged on or in the minimum of oneholding fixture.
 11. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim2, wherein the condenser is arranged on the rear of the device or in thearea of the base of the device or in the area of the top or in a sidearea of the device.
 12. The refrigerating and/or freezing device ofclaim 11, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or theabsorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber isarranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenseris mounted on the rear wall.
 13. The refrigerating and/or freezingdevice of claim 3, wherein the condenser is located on the absorberand/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or that theabsorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case in whichthe condenser is mounted on the rear wall.
 14. The refrigerating and/orfreezing device of claim 2, wherein the condenser is located on theabsorber and/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or thatthe absorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case inwhich the condenser is mounted on the rear wall.
 15. The refrigeratingand/or freezing device of claim 14, wherein the condenser can have aplurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such thatit has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances indistance from the condenser units.
 16. The refrigerating and/or freezingdevice of claim 13, wherein the condenser can have a plurality ofcondenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has atolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distancefrom the condenser units.
 17. The refrigerating and/or freezing deviceof claim 12, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenserunits and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerancecompensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from thecondenser units.
 18. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim11, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units andthe absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensationdevice to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenserunits.
 19. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 4, whereinthe condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorbercan be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device tocompensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.
 20. Therefrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 3, wherein the condensercan have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designedsuch that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate fortolerances in distance from the condenser units.